Playing ‘to a system’ will be the key for Assomac to come back
Italy’s industry body for manufacturers of machinery for leather and footwear, Assomac, has reported revenues for the sector of €575 million in 2024. This figure, which is still preliminary, represents a fall of 12% compared to the previous year.
Assomac described this as a significant contraction. It said the domestic market had suffered because of “a slowdown in investments in the fashion supply chain”.
In parallel, revenues from outside Italy suffered because of what Assomac called “a global context characterised by geopolitical instability, inflation, shrinking consumption and tightening trade barriers”.
The president of Assomac, Mauro Bergozza (pictured), acknowledged that the tanning and footwear machinery sector was going through “a phase of deep suffering”, but he insisted it was not irreversible.
He said the quality of the technology that Assomac members produce, with Italian know-how and what he called “a distinctive push for innovation”, must become again a driver of competitiveness.
“To achieve this, we need investment in digitalisation, automation, sustainability and, above all, a vision that companies, institutions, and education and research providers can all share,” he continued. “We must be ready to play to a system, otherwise we will remain on the margins of the global market.”
He explained that playing to a system meant building a set-up in which companies receive support, not only in terms of technology, but also in terms of infrastructure, industrial policies and international relations. He said cohesion, investment and a long-term vision were essential.
“Joining forces to be more competitive is no longer an option,” Mr Bergozza concluded, “but a necessity.”
